Town of Greenwich. Strategic Technology Plan

Transcription

1 Town of Greenwich Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary May 6, 2013 Prepared for: Town of Greenwich 101 Field Point Road Greenwich, CT PaSFge ihttp://

2 Acknowledgements BerryDunn would like to thank the employees of the Town of Greenwich for collaboratively working with us to develop this Strategic Technology Plan for the Town. Not only did department representatives participate in the planning process, but also each department valued the opportunity to participate and demonstrated an understanding that a successful strategic technology plan is as much about participating in the process as it is about the final plan. We truly appreciate the level of cooperation, support, and feedback we received from the employees of the Town. Throughout the project, we met with members of Town leadership so that executive level input could be contributed to the plan. We would like to thank the members of Town management for their time and contributions to the project. The key ingredient for future success of technology initiatives is the commitment level of necessary financial and managerial resources. Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 2 May 6, 2013

3 Executive Summary The Town of Greenwich has approximately 942 employees who serve a population of approximately 60,000 residents. The Town recognizes that their information systems and business processes have evolved in a reactionary manner to meet the growing needs of employees interacting with the information systems on a regular basis. The IT Department of the Town of Greenwich increases the quality and efficiency of the Town s information systems by approaching problems with an enterpriselevel focus. The Town has conducted technology planning projects in the past with assistance from external consultants resulting in Strategic Technology Plans in 2002 and In continuing with this focus on technology planning, the Town issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in January 2012 for a Strategic Technology Plan. In July 2012, the Town retained Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker (BerryDunn) to conduct a strategic technology planning project that would result in the development of a three-year Strategic Technology Plan. The first phase of this project focused on assessing the current technology environment at the Town. BerryDunn began by requesting background documentation from the Town in order to gain a better understanding of the current IT environment. In addition, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Worksheet was distributed to Department Leads to complete. Nearly all departments participated in the SWOT survey process. In September 2012, BerryDunn conducted on-site fact-finding meetings with all Town departments. The focus of the fact-finding meetings was to understand the technology tools currently in use and their related strengths and weaknesses. The discussions also included potential technologies Town staff were interested in to improve business processes. Also while on-site, BerryDunn toured the Town s IT facilities and met with IT Department employees individually to gain an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the IT staff and the current technology environment in the Town. Planning Framework The findings from the assessment phase resulted in a summarized list of technology strategic issues identified by both BerryDunn and the Town. A strategic issue is a challenge or problem faced by the Town that relates to the use and/or management of technology. Each strategic issue has been allocated to one of three functional areas: management and operations, applications, and technical. The list of strategic issues is organized based on these categories, further defined below: Management and Operations (M): Management and Operations Issues are related to how the Town supports the technology tools and infrastructure in place, how technology is planned for and acquired, and how resources are positioned to support technology in the Town. Applications Issues (A): Applications Issues are related to the applications that are used to support Town users in core business processes, including providing services to Town citizens. Technical Issues (T): Technical Issues are related to the Town s core technology infrastructure and how it is developed and maintained to be cost efficient and effective. Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 3 May 6, 2013

4 The Preliminary List of Strategic Issues was discussed, confirmed, and prioritized as part of the Strategic Issue Prioritization Work Session facilitated by BerryDunn. This work session included representatives from all departments in a collaborative discussion designed to build consensus in the resulting priorities assigned to each Strategic Issue identified as part of the assessment. The prioritized list of issues is contained in Section 3.1 of the Strategic Technology Plan. The top ten Prioritized Strategic Technology Issues are listed in the following table. Table 1: Top Ten Prioritized Strategic Technology Issues Top Ten Prioritized Strategic Technology Issues Priority Issue ID Strategic Technology Issue 1 A1 The Human Resources Department reported that the Munis application is not meeting their needs for human resources and payroll functionality. 2 T6 The Town does not always receive timely network support. 3 M1 There are instances when the support provided by the Town Help Desk does not meet department needs. 4 T4 Town staff could have increased connection capabilities while working in the field. 5 M3 An established Town-wide IT Steering Committee does not exist. 6 M2 7 A3 8 A8 The Town s desktop replacement schedule does not optimize standardization or utilize laptops or tablets. The Town is using multiple software applications to manage the permitting, inspection, and code enforcement processes. Multiple departments are using manual and paper-based processes, disparate databases, and outdated/not-upgraded applications for primary business processes. 9 M5 The Town does not have a current IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan. 10 M6 Technology training end users is limited. BerryDunn also facilitated work sessions with IT and Town leadership to confirm the Mission and Objectives of each group in consideration of this Strategic Technology Plan. The following two tables contain the Mission and Objectives of both the IT Department and the Town for this Strategic Technology Plan. Table 3: IT Department Mission and Objectives IT Department Mission and Objectives Mission: The Town of Greenwich Information Technology Department provides and supports cost-effective solution and technical leadership in the Information Technology area to accomplish organizational and departmental goals that facilitate delivery of excellent services to the Town departments/divisions and to the Town Residents. Objectives: Procure, install, and maintain computer hardware, software, and computer-related services for the Town of Greenwich municipal departments. Services included but are not limited to the Town-wide Municipal and Local Area Networks, Internet access, , web related services and multiple departmental Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 4 May 6, 2013

5 IT Department Mission and Objectives applications. Assist all Town departments in developing and evaluating proposals for all projects that have any association with use of Information Technology. Provide computer related training and education to develop a technology literate work force. Maintain data standards in order to improve data interchange between different applications. Manage and maintain the Town s GIS data with 54 layers and GIS related applications/services. Maintain operations of GIS office distributing maps and GIS data to the Town employees and general public. Objectives: Table 4: Town Technology Objectives Town Technology Objectives Implement technologies that are progressive but not on the verge of cutting edge. Increase the Town s use of mobile computing technologies where they support specific business processes. Implement technology tools to track performance measures to understand improvements in services as well as returns on investment. Continue to leverage technology to support increased efficiencies and effectiveness in serving the Town s residents. Town-Wide Technology Projects and Initiatives Immediately following the Strategic Issue Prioritization Work Session, department representatives were then asked to review the prioritized list of strategic issues and complete initiative planning worksheets to document technology projects that would address the strategic issues. Each department submitted two to three projects which allowed a variety of perspectives to contribute to the combined list that would eventually form this Strategic Technology Plan. BerryDunn developed a second list that was combined with those initiatives submitted by Town department representatives. The Projects and Initiatives Work Session facilitated by BerryDunn in December allowed departments to discuss, confirm, and score each initiative or project. Collaboration and involvement of all departments was a key ingredient to this successful effort, which became the basis for the Strategic Plan. The table below summaries the projects and initiatives developed collaboratively by the Town and BerryDunn and ranked in the Strategic Initiative Prioritization Work Session Table 5: List of Strategic Initiatives List of Strategic Initiatives ID Initiative Strategic Issue(s) A Conduct a gap-fit analysis related to the Munis application's core financial modules. A2 B Conduct a needs assessment related to CityView for the Town departments not using the application. A3 C Develop a Document Management Action Plan. A4 Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 5 May 6, 2013

6 ID D E F List of Strategic Initiatives Initiative Document and communicate the procedure for managing content on the Town's website at the department level. Identify deficiencies in the Town's system and develop an action plan to meet Town needs. Establish Town IT Working Group(s); one with a focus on Town Departments and another on inter-agency (BOE, Police, Libraries). Strategic Issue(s) A6 A7 A8, M3, M4, M12 H Implement a Town-wide system for scheduling meeting rooms. A10 I Adjust the Help Desk model in the IT Department and develop a plan for functional improvements. M1 J Create a Project Management focus in the Town for enterprise projects. M7, M11 K Reorganize the Desktop Replacement Plan and identify the need for laptops and tablets. M2 L Update the Town's IT Disaster Recovery Plan. M5 M Plan and implement technology training for end users and IT Department staff. M6 N Develop, update, and communicate IT policies and procedures. M8, M9, M10 O Transition the Town to Voice over IP telephony (VoIP). T1 P Perform an analysis of the Municipal Area Network and Internet access. T2, T4, T6, T7 Q Conduct an IT Security Audit. - The following table identified the projects and initiatives in each Plan year along with their associated timelines and budgets. Table 6: Projects and Initiatives in Each Plan Year Projects and Initiatives in Each Plan Year ID Project/Initiative Timeline Budget F Year-One Projects and Initiatives Establish Town IT Working Group(s); one with a focus on Town Departments and another on inter-agency (BOE, Police, Libraries). Year 1 0 C I P L Develop a Document Management Action Plan. Adjust the Help Desk model in the IT Department and develop a plan for functional improvements. Perform an analysis of the Municipal Area Network and Internet access. Update the Town's IT Disaster Recovery Plan. Year 1-Year 3 100,000 Year 1-Year 3 145,000 Year 1 0 Year 1-Year 2 100,000 D Document and communicate the procedure for managing content on Year 1-Year 2 0 Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 6 May 6, 2013

7 Projects and Initiatives in Each Plan Year ID Project/Initiative Timeline Budget the Town's website at the department level. H A K M Implement a Town-wide system for scheduling meeting rooms. Year-Two Projects and Initiatives Conduct a gap-fit analysis related to the Munis application's core financial modules. Reorganize the Desktop Replacement Plan and identify the need for laptops and tablets. Plan and implement technology training for end users and IT Department staff. Year 1-Year 3 14,500 Year 2-Year 3 65,000 Year 2-Year 3 135,000 Year 2-Year 3 40,000 N Develop, update, and communicate IT policies and procedures. Year 2-Year 3 0 B J E O Q Conduct a needs assessment related to CityView for the Town departments not using the application Create a Project Management focus in the Town for enterprise projects. Year-Three Projects and Initiatives Identify deficiencies in the Town's system and develop an action plan to meet Town needs Transition the Town to Voice over IP telephony (VoIP). Conduct an IT Security Audit Year 2-Year 3 70,000 Year 2 45,000 Year 3 0 Year 3 100,405 Year 3 75,000 Implementing the Technology Plan Based upon the budget estimates for each of the projects and initiatives in this Plan, a three-year budget and timeline matrix is presented in Section 4.1 of the Strategic Technology Plan. These funding levels will result in increased future IT spending, as indicated in the table below. Table 7: Future IT Spending Levels Future IT Spending Levels ($) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Increased Base Budget 3,320,999 3,404,023 3,489,125 Strategic Plan Budget 135, , ,405 Total IT Budget 3,456,499 3,751,023 3,896,530 Town Budget 107,336, ,946, ,581,122 IT Spending Ratio 3.22% 3.44% 3.52% The future IT spending levels are depicted in the following figure. Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 7 May 6, 2013

8 3.55% 3.50% 3.45% 3.40% 3.35% 3.30% 3.25% 3.20% 3.15% 3.10% 3.05% Future IT Spending Levels Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Figure 1: Future IT Spending Levels The Town will begin the implementation of the projects and initiatives contained in this plan during the next fiscal year. The Strategic Technology Plan will greatly impact the operations of the Town. Planning, selecting, deploying, and managing for improved systems and service delivery mechanisms will require strong leadership, clear strategic and tactical plans, and, where reasonable, comprehensive needs assessments to help identify the most important technology-related Town challenges. Once new technologies are implemented, the Town will need to actively communicate those services and their benefits to both internal and external stakeholders. For example, the Town should not expect that new e-government services will be widely used unless the services are effectively communicated, trained, and promoted. New technology services create significant opportunities to change how the Town manages daily operations. The Town must plan for significant business process changes that streamline operations and focus on using technology to improve customer service. The Town should consider the following requirements that a plan of this magnitude necessitates: Active executive management involvement and sponsorship will be critical to the successful adoption and continued support of the plan. Implementing a successful Strategic Technology Plan will require significant planning, increased capital investment, and human resources in order to successfully implement the Plan Initiatives. Project goals and objectives should be clearly communicated to stakeholders and progress should be proactively monitored. Business processes should be evaluated, and, where necessary, redesigned to take advantage of new technologies in order to meet the Town s desired objectives. Many changes will be non-technical. Rather, they will be cultural shifts, process changes facilitated by change management and policy and procedure adjustments. Departments must work cooperatively and collaboratively to facilitate effective change that is in the best interest of the Town. Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 8 May 6, 2013

9 Technical support staff will be critical to the success of the IT Strategic Plan s implementation. Internal stakeholders must be ready, willing, and able to use new technology and embrace effective change. It will be important for the Town to continue to evaluate the use of outsourced services where appropriate. Similar to the Munis application hosting service currently used by the Town, other opportunities to outsource specific IT services may arise. It is important to weigh the service level that can potentially be compromised when outsourcing services when compared to in-house support. It is important that over the next three years the role of IT at the Town continue to evolve and continually be assessing leading edge technology tools to solve technology issues at the Town. The role of IT should focus on problem solving while balancing other organizational needs such as security, access to data and E-government services. Some of the initiatives in this plan will assist IT in moving further towards a proactive focus on IT planning. One of the critical success factors for the implementation of the IT plan will be executive support and leadership for the projects in the plan. The IT Department and Town Department Heads has committed to undertaking the projects in this plan and executive support will be needed to secure and allocate the appropriate Town resources, as well as ensuring that projects outside the scope of this plan in current and future years are thoroughly evaluated before adjusting the existing priorities of the projects in the plan. Implementing the projects and initiatives in this plan not only require appropriate Town resources, but a structured project management methodology will also need to be established to increase the likelihood of project success. By undertaking this Strategic Technology Planning Project, the Town is proactively planning to make improvements in many areas throughout the Town. Thoughtful and well-planned investments in proven information technologies will allow the Town to be more efficient and effective for their stakeholders and constituents. The key to success is managing and executing the plan. It will require the full commitment of necessary financial and managerial resources. Strategic Technology Plan Executive Summary Page 9 May 6, 2013